Knowing your drugs

Any chemical that has the ability to enter the human brain from the blood stream and affect the functioning of the brain has the potential of being addictive. These chemicals may be collectively called as psychoactive drugs and the use of these substances may cause mood swings, perception changes, changes in understanding, behavioral changes and may also cause one to lose consciousness. It may prove useful to be aware of the various types of drugs, their effects and the way to treat their abuse. There are several such substances but they may be broadly categorized into three categories: Stimulants, sedatives and opiates.

Some of the commonly known addictive substances such as caffeine, nicotine and cocaine can be categorized as stimulants. These are substances that seem to improve body functions, both mental and physical, for a brief period of time. The effects of stimulants may be higher level of alertness, ability to be awake for long periods, increased productivity and so on. The physical effects include higher blood pressure, increased heart rate and a sense of agility that allows quicker and stronger movements. The addiction is only psychological and treatment programs have to deal with only the psychological symptoms during withdrawal.

Sedatives act by causing an almost opposite effect of stimulants. These substances have a pacifying effect on the subject. They reduce excitement and bring about relaxation. The most common of these substances is alcohol, marijuana and barbiturates. There are certain hypnotic or soporific substances whose primary effect is to cause sleep. The noticeable changes in the subject include increase in reaction time, slurring of speech and inability to think clearly and objectively. These substances affect both the body and the mind with the potential to cause severe addiction. Moreover, the body becomes dependant on these substances for normal functioning. Therefore, drug treatment programs have to careful in phasing out this need in the subject. Suddenly cutting one off from these substances may sometimes cause death.

The last but not the least potent of addictive substances are the opiates. As the name suggests, these substances are derived mainly from the poppy plant but can be synthesized as well. Morphine is the most commonly known opiate and was extensively used as an analgesic or painkiller since its discovery in 1804. The popularity of morphine only increased after the hypodermic needle was invented in 1857. Most of these substances are administered intravenously. These substances also affect both the body and the mind. But unlike sedatives the withdrawal would not have a fatal effect on the subject.